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Stone Girl Bone Girl: The Story of Mary Anning of Lyme Regis
Discover the story of Mary Anning, the world's best-known fossil hunter.
As a baby, Mary was struck by lightning, then as a little girl she found a fossilised sea monster, the most important prehistoric discovery of its time. This spectacular tale of a little girl who dared to be different and who followed her dreams will inspire young children.
Beautiful illustrations and narrative text help children to learn how Mary discovered new fossils – and how her observations rocked the natural history world. Be inspired by Mary's work as a woman in the field of science – especially as her achievements weren't recognised until after her death.
Perfect for kids interested in dinosaurs and rocks, and for parents looking for strong female role models in science.
If you liked this, you might like the Anholt's Artists series.
As a baby, Mary was struck by lightning, then as a little girl she found a fossilised sea monster, the most important prehistoric discovery of its time. This spectacular tale of a little girl who dared to be different and who followed her dreams will inspire young children.
Beautiful illustrations and narrative text help children to learn how Mary discovered new fossils – and how her observations rocked the natural history world. Be inspired by Mary's work as a woman in the field of science – especially as her achievements weren't recognised until after her death.
Perfect for kids interested in dinosaurs and rocks, and for parents looking for strong female role models in science.
If you liked this, you might like the Anholt's Artists series.
32 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 1999
About the author
Laurence Anholt
208 books91 followersIn a career spanning three decades, Laurence Anholt has produced over 200 children's books, which are published in more than 30 languages. Titles like the self-illustrated Anholt's Artists series have sold many millions of copies around the world. Laurence has also collaborated on numerous picture books with his wife, the artist, Catherine Anholt.
Laurence's first YA / Crossover novel THE HYPNOTIST was published by Penguin Random House on 6th October 2016.
The Hypnotist was described by The Bookseller as 'gripping, powerful storytelling with a powerful anti-racist message.' The book has been officially endorsed by Amnesty International, it was the winner of the Historical Association Young Quills Award, shortlisted for the Southern Schools Book Award and four major book awards. It is currently longlisted for the Carnegie Medal 2018.
Born in 1959, Laurence Anholt was brought up mainly in Holland where he developed a lasting love of Art. He went on to study Painting for 8 years, culminating in a Master's Degree from the Royal Academy of Art in London. Catherine and Laurence live and work in a house on a hill with studios and wild flower meadows, overlooking the sea in Devon, southwest England.
Laurence's books have won many awards, including the UK's prestigious Nestlé Smarties Gold Award on two occasions. For more than a decade, Laurence has been amongst the top 200 Most Borrowed Authors from UK libraries across all genres. He was included in the Independent on Sunday's Top 10 Children's Authors in the UK and was described by William Watt as "one of the most versatile authors writing for children today".
Catherine and Laurence have been closely involved with a number of literacy schemes such as the UK Government funded Bookstart scheme. Their publication Babies Love Books (also a much-loved picture book) encourages parents to share books with babies from the earliest possible age. Their work has taken them inside Buckingham Palace and Downing Street on several occasions.
Laurence's self‐illustrated Anholt's Artists series, is an introduction to great artists for young children. These beautiful books are used as part of the national school curriculum in many countries and are sold in galleries and museums all over the world. The books, which include Frida Kahlo and the Bravest Girl in the World, Camille and the Sunflowers, Degas and the Little Dancer and The Magical Garden of Claude Monet have taken Laurence on many fascinating journeys of discovery. Each scrupulously researched story is based on an actual encounter between a real child and a great artist. In several instances, Laurence has been assisted by relatives of the artists or by the protagonists themselves - for example, Laurence developed a long-standing friendship with Sylvette David, Picasso's Girl With a Ponytail. This series currently includes 10 titles and it has been adapted in many forms, including Apps for iPads, stage and TV productions and a full scale van Gogh musical which Laurence launched in Korea. The Anholt's Artists books are renowned not only for their educational value, but also for their life-affirming themes of aspiration, tolerance and acceptance of those who are different.
Laurence Anholt is a much sought after public speaker, talking about literature and his own zany view of life at conferences all over the world.
The Anholts have three grown up children, Claire and twins, Tom and Maddy. Claire is an anthropologist who works for the UN in Geneva, Maddy is an actor living in London and Tom is a successful artist based in Berlin. They also have twin grandchildren, Felix and Nina.
Laurence Anholt's interests include art, literature, adventure travel and Buddhist meditation.
For further information visit the Anholts' website: http://www.anholt.co.uk
Laurence's first YA / Crossover novel THE HYPNOTIST was published by Penguin Random House on 6th October 2016.
The Hypnotist was described by The Bookseller as 'gripping, powerful storytelling with a powerful anti-racist message.' The book has been officially endorsed by Amnesty International, it was the winner of the Historical Association Young Quills Award, shortlisted for the Southern Schools Book Award and four major book awards. It is currently longlisted for the Carnegie Medal 2018.
Born in 1959, Laurence Anholt was brought up mainly in Holland where he developed a lasting love of Art. He went on to study Painting for 8 years, culminating in a Master's Degree from the Royal Academy of Art in London. Catherine and Laurence live and work in a house on a hill with studios and wild flower meadows, overlooking the sea in Devon, southwest England.
Laurence's books have won many awards, including the UK's prestigious Nestlé Smarties Gold Award on two occasions. For more than a decade, Laurence has been amongst the top 200 Most Borrowed Authors from UK libraries across all genres. He was included in the Independent on Sunday's Top 10 Children's Authors in the UK and was described by William Watt as "one of the most versatile authors writing for children today".
Catherine and Laurence have been closely involved with a number of literacy schemes such as the UK Government funded Bookstart scheme. Their publication Babies Love Books (also a much-loved picture book) encourages parents to share books with babies from the earliest possible age. Their work has taken them inside Buckingham Palace and Downing Street on several occasions.
Laurence's self‐illustrated Anholt's Artists series, is an introduction to great artists for young children. These beautiful books are used as part of the national school curriculum in many countries and are sold in galleries and museums all over the world. The books, which include Frida Kahlo and the Bravest Girl in the World, Camille and the Sunflowers, Degas and the Little Dancer and The Magical Garden of Claude Monet have taken Laurence on many fascinating journeys of discovery. Each scrupulously researched story is based on an actual encounter between a real child and a great artist. In several instances, Laurence has been assisted by relatives of the artists or by the protagonists themselves - for example, Laurence developed a long-standing friendship with Sylvette David, Picasso's Girl With a Ponytail. This series currently includes 10 titles and it has been adapted in many forms, including Apps for iPads, stage and TV productions and a full scale van Gogh musical which Laurence launched in Korea. The Anholt's Artists books are renowned not only for their educational value, but also for their life-affirming themes of aspiration, tolerance and acceptance of those who are different.
Laurence Anholt is a much sought after public speaker, talking about literature and his own zany view of life at conferences all over the world.
The Anholts have three grown up children, Claire and twins, Tom and Maddy. Claire is an anthropologist who works for the UN in Geneva, Maddy is an actor living in London and Tom is a successful artist based in Berlin. They also have twin grandchildren, Felix and Nina.
Laurence Anholt's interests include art, literature, adventure travel and Buddhist meditation.
For further information visit the Anholts' website: http://www.anholt.co.uk
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
March 7, 2018
I do indeed apologise to especially my Goodreads friends who have found Laurence Anholt's (author) and Sheila Moxley's (illustrator) 1999 picture book Stone Girl, Bone Girl: The Story of Mary Anning a sweet and engaging tale, but truth be told, I have not much enjoyed Moxley's illustrations and have actually and in fact totally and utterly DESPISED the narrative, the story itself, or rather, I should say, the misleading and strangely annoyingly fantastical manner in which the author, in which Laurence Anholt has chosen to present the very much important account of Mary Anning and her revolutionary fossil discoveries.
For aside from the fact that Anholt in Stone Girl, Bone Girl: The Story of Mary Anning has for no understandable reason whatsoever failed to even mention Mary Anning's older brother Joseph (with whom she had a very close relationship and who actually was the person to originally discover a "dragon eye" in the cliff, which of course was later unearthed by his sister Mary as the first fossil of an ichthyosaur), the whole story of Pepper's death is pretty much and sadly lacking. Why is it not mentioned in Stone Girl, Bone Girl: The Story of Mary Anning that Mary Anning's father suffered a serious back injury whilst collecting curiosities on the beach and that his later death due to tuberculosis was directly related to the former, to said accident? For yes, how Pepper's death is described in Stone Girl, Bone Girl: The Story of Mary Anning sure does make it appear as though Laurence Anholt absolutely wants to convey that Mary Anning's father simply died of old age and due to cold, damp weather, which was/is simply not the case. But much much worse, and yes, the main reason why I am ranking Stone Girl, Bone Girl: The Story of Mary Anning so low and why I am in fact rather angry and majorly so is that the whole fantastical sequence involving Mary Anning's dog is both cringeworthy and in my opinion quite insulting. For while Aholt kind of creates a sweet and fantastic little rigamarole where the little dog seems to almost if not even probably represent the dead father's, Pepper Anning's spirit, coming to help Mary unearth her itchyosaur fossil only to then disappear because his purpose is now done, the truth of the matter, the tragic reality, is Mary Anning's dog was killed in a rockslide, an event that greatly saddened her, an event that was yet another of the many tragedies she had to endure as a child (and I for one do consider how Laurence Anholt has incorporated, has used the dog in Stone Girl, Bone Girl: The Story of Mary Anning at best rather to be childish and actually also massively disrespectful to Mary Anning and the sad truth that she had to weather and endure so many personal tragedies during her life, but still managed to persevere and to succeed).
Combined with Sheila Moxley's bright but also much too naive and one-dimentional accompanying illustrations for Stone Girl, Bone Girl: The Story of Mary Anning majorly rubbing me the wrong proverbial way because while Stone Girl, Bone Girl: The Story of Mary Anning clearly takes place in early 19th century England, in coastal Cornwall, the skin tones of especially Mary and Pepper Anning make them appear more Italian or Spanish than British, than English to and for me, I have unfortunately and sadly been very much disappointed both textually and illustratively with and by Stone Girl, Bone Girl: The Story of Mary Anning and can thus even with my apologies to those of you who have found Stone Girl, Bone Girl: The Story of Mary Anning enchanting and delightful only consider a one star ranking.
For aside from the fact that Anholt in Stone Girl, Bone Girl: The Story of Mary Anning has for no understandable reason whatsoever failed to even mention Mary Anning's older brother Joseph (with whom she had a very close relationship and who actually was the person to originally discover a "dragon eye" in the cliff, which of course was later unearthed by his sister Mary as the first fossil of an ichthyosaur), the whole story of Pepper's death is pretty much and sadly lacking. Why is it not mentioned in Stone Girl, Bone Girl: The Story of Mary Anning that Mary Anning's father suffered a serious back injury whilst collecting curiosities on the beach and that his later death due to tuberculosis was directly related to the former, to said accident? For yes, how Pepper's death is described in Stone Girl, Bone Girl: The Story of Mary Anning sure does make it appear as though Laurence Anholt absolutely wants to convey that Mary Anning's father simply died of old age and due to cold, damp weather, which was/is simply not the case. But much much worse, and yes, the main reason why I am ranking Stone Girl, Bone Girl: The Story of Mary Anning so low and why I am in fact rather angry and majorly so is that the whole fantastical sequence involving Mary Anning's dog is both cringeworthy and in my opinion quite insulting. For while Aholt kind of creates a sweet and fantastic little rigamarole where the little dog seems to almost if not even probably represent the dead father's, Pepper Anning's spirit, coming to help Mary unearth her itchyosaur fossil only to then disappear because his purpose is now done, the truth of the matter, the tragic reality, is Mary Anning's dog was killed in a rockslide, an event that greatly saddened her, an event that was yet another of the many tragedies she had to endure as a child (and I for one do consider how Laurence Anholt has incorporated, has used the dog in Stone Girl, Bone Girl: The Story of Mary Anning at best rather to be childish and actually also massively disrespectful to Mary Anning and the sad truth that she had to weather and endure so many personal tragedies during her life, but still managed to persevere and to succeed).
Combined with Sheila Moxley's bright but also much too naive and one-dimentional accompanying illustrations for Stone Girl, Bone Girl: The Story of Mary Anning majorly rubbing me the wrong proverbial way because while Stone Girl, Bone Girl: The Story of Mary Anning clearly takes place in early 19th century England, in coastal Cornwall, the skin tones of especially Mary and Pepper Anning make them appear more Italian or Spanish than British, than English to and for me, I have unfortunately and sadly been very much disappointed both textually and illustratively with and by Stone Girl, Bone Girl: The Story of Mary Anning and can thus even with my apologies to those of you who have found Stone Girl, Bone Girl: The Story of Mary Anning enchanting and delightful only consider a one star ranking.
February 27, 2010
A fascinating story about Mary Anning, the little girl who survived a lighting strike as a baby and grew to love fossils. She found many along the clay cliffs of Dorset in the early 1800s and sparked a great excitement about the "ancient creatures" eventually finding one of the most important fossil skeletons in history. I think kids fascinated by dinosaurs will be naturally drawn to this story--when I was little, I always wanted to find dinosaur bones and it would have been cool to read about a girl who actually did! (Note there are a few sad moments, such as when Mary's father dies and at the end when her dog (maybe a muse?) disappears.)
ETA: This novel leaves out a few aspects from Mary's story, such as her brother was actually the first to find the fossils. I did not realize it upon my first reading since it was my first introduction to Mary's story.
ETA: This novel leaves out a few aspects from Mary's story, such as her brother was actually the first to find the fossils. I did not realize it upon my first reading since it was my first introduction to Mary's story.
February 27, 2010
Every month the Children's Books group's Picture Books Club reads 6 books that have a theme. July’s topic is dinosaurs. I’d already read the other 5 books when I was finally able to pick up the 6th book today, this book. I’m so grateful this book is one of the selected books because I think it is exceptionally good and I really enjoyed it.
It’s the story of an English girl, born in 1799; she lived in Lyme Regis, England, and at a tender age found a fossil of significance, and then went on to discover other important fossils. It was a highly unusual activity for a girl during that time.
The story is wonderful. I’m eager now to read a biography of this woman, a book written for adults. This book is terrific for kids. It shows that children (Mary was only 12 when she made her famous find) can do important things. It also would be a terrific book to read as a group book and then have a discussion about bullying. I love how this book shows how Mary was unusual from the start, having been the only survivor of a lightning strike when she was a toddler, having a father who introduced her to searching for “treasures” at a young age, how neighbor sisters helped fuel her interest, and how she persevered in her highly atypical activities of searching for fossils, which played a role in the then new science of evolution. Mary’s father dying was certainly a sad moment but, even though she wasn’t as perturbed, I found the disappearance of her companion dog much more distressing.
But, the illustrations are what I found so outstanding. Whimsical, very creatively drawn, beautifully painted in gorgeous colors, and highly unusual themselves, I thought they were special and a perfect complement to the story about Mary Anning and her locale.
It’s the story of an English girl, born in 1799; she lived in Lyme Regis, England, and at a tender age found a fossil of significance, and then went on to discover other important fossils. It was a highly unusual activity for a girl during that time.
The story is wonderful. I’m eager now to read a biography of this woman, a book written for adults. This book is terrific for kids. It shows that children (Mary was only 12 when she made her famous find) can do important things. It also would be a terrific book to read as a group book and then have a discussion about bullying. I love how this book shows how Mary was unusual from the start, having been the only survivor of a lightning strike when she was a toddler, having a father who introduced her to searching for “treasures” at a young age, how neighbor sisters helped fuel her interest, and how she persevered in her highly atypical activities of searching for fossils, which played a role in the then new science of evolution. Mary’s father dying was certainly a sad moment but, even though she wasn’t as perturbed, I found the disappearance of her companion dog much more distressing.
But, the illustrations are what I found so outstanding. Whimsical, very creatively drawn, beautifully painted in gorgeous colors, and highly unusual themselves, I thought they were special and a perfect complement to the story about Mary Anning and her locale.
July 16, 2010
"Stone Girl, Bone Girl" is a brilliant biography about Mary Anning, who was known for digging up extraordinary fossils back in her day. In this tale, Mary Anning loved digging for strange rocks called "curiosities," but when she meets the Philpot sisters, who were famous scientists, they told Mary that the "curiosities" were actually fossils and that one of the fossils, that belong to a giant sea monster, is the greatest treasure of all. Will Mary find the fossil of the giant sea monster? Read this book to find out!
Laurence Anholt has done a fantastic job at telling the story of Mary Anning's adventures in finding the fossils of the giant sea monster. Laurence Anholt makes this story dramatic and emotional at the same time, especially during the scene where Mary Anning was struck by lightning as a baby, but survives, which I found to be truly amazing since I have never heard about a baby being struck by lightning and surviving the accident. What made this book truly worth reading was the fact that Mary was engaged in an activity that was not common for children to do back then and I loved her devotion to collecting fossils, since I love collecting various items also and I can relate to her devotion in collecting fossils. Sheila Moxley's illustrations are colorful and beautiful at the same time as the characters look lively, especially of the image of Mary Anning herself as she wears a brown and white dress, indicating that she is an adventurer. Sheila Moxley also makes her illustrations somewhat chaotic, especially of the images of the houses in Mary Anning's neighborhood as they look disordered, but they give this book a creative look.
"Stone Girl, Bone Girl" is an excellent book on the real life adventures of Mary Anning and anyone who loves learning about dinosaur fossils and collecting various things for hobbies will definitely enjoy this book! I would recommend this book to children ages five and up since the scene of baby Mary being struck by lightning might scare smaller children.
Laurence Anholt has done a fantastic job at telling the story of Mary Anning's adventures in finding the fossils of the giant sea monster. Laurence Anholt makes this story dramatic and emotional at the same time, especially during the scene where Mary Anning was struck by lightning as a baby, but survives, which I found to be truly amazing since I have never heard about a baby being struck by lightning and surviving the accident. What made this book truly worth reading was the fact that Mary was engaged in an activity that was not common for children to do back then and I loved her devotion to collecting fossils, since I love collecting various items also and I can relate to her devotion in collecting fossils. Sheila Moxley's illustrations are colorful and beautiful at the same time as the characters look lively, especially of the image of Mary Anning herself as she wears a brown and white dress, indicating that she is an adventurer. Sheila Moxley also makes her illustrations somewhat chaotic, especially of the images of the houses in Mary Anning's neighborhood as they look disordered, but they give this book a creative look.
"Stone Girl, Bone Girl" is an excellent book on the real life adventures of Mary Anning and anyone who loves learning about dinosaur fossils and collecting various things for hobbies will definitely enjoy this book! I would recommend this book to children ages five and up since the scene of baby Mary being struck by lightning might scare smaller children.
July 23, 2010
This was a great read! The illustrations were perfectly drawn to set the mood of the story. I found myself right there in the 1800's! I was very intrigued by this story, as I knew nothing about Mary Anning or where Lyme Regis was. I also always wondered about that little rhyme I use to sing as a child and was fascinated to find out where it came from. (She Sells Sea Shells) That is such a hard tongue-twister! There was a lot of information packed in this children's book; from a birth to a death and then to a new life. I enjoyed Mary’s story about how at such a young age she became a remarkable part of science. I think it is important for children to know it is okay to be different and how they too can do something wonderful.
January 30, 2010
Really my four stars are for the story of Mary Anning herself -- the narration is fine but nothing special, and the illustrations, while interesting, seemed a somewhat odd choice to accompany a story set in early-nineteenth-century England.
January 28, 2019
Struck by lightning as an infant, Mary Anning was an unusual young girl from the very beginning, but it was her father's gift of a "snakestone," found in the clay cliffs near their home in Lyme Regis, that set her on the path that would truly make her stand out. Fascinated by the beautiful "treasure," she set out to find more, spending so much time on her new hobby that the local children made up a rhyme about her: "Stone girl, Bone girl. Out-on-your-own Girl." Despite the ridicule of her peers, and the eventual death of her father, Mary kept at it, encouraged by the Misses Philpot - two neighbor ladies who exposed her to some of the scientific thinking about the fossils she was finding - and eventually her persistence paid off, with her discovery of the very first complete ichthyosaur skeleton, in 1811.
One of a number of picture-book biographies of Anning - see also: Mary Anning and the Sea Dragon , Rare Treasure: Mary Anning and Her Remarkable Discoveries , The Fossil Girl , and Dragon in the Rocks: A Story Based on the Childhood of the Early Paleontologist, Mary Anning - Stone Girl, Bone Girl was one of six dinosaur-themed selections chosen by The Picture-Book Club to which I belong, for our July discussion. I was impressed by the fact that Anholt included some of the darker elements of the story - the death of Mary's father, the subsequent financial difficulties experienced by her family - although I wondered why Mary's brother - who apparently found the head of the ichthyosaur skeleton, and who was also a fossil collector - was never mentioned. In any case, with its engaging narrative and appealing illustrations - Sheila Moxley's art is beautiful! - this is definitely one I would recommend to young would-be paleontologists. I know that I, having read it, want to know more about this fascinating figure!
One of a number of picture-book biographies of Anning - see also: Mary Anning and the Sea Dragon , Rare Treasure: Mary Anning and Her Remarkable Discoveries , The Fossil Girl , and Dragon in the Rocks: A Story Based on the Childhood of the Early Paleontologist, Mary Anning - Stone Girl, Bone Girl was one of six dinosaur-themed selections chosen by The Picture-Book Club to which I belong, for our July discussion. I was impressed by the fact that Anholt included some of the darker elements of the story - the death of Mary's father, the subsequent financial difficulties experienced by her family - although I wondered why Mary's brother - who apparently found the head of the ichthyosaur skeleton, and who was also a fossil collector - was never mentioned. In any case, with its engaging narrative and appealing illustrations - Sheila Moxley's art is beautiful! - this is definitely one I would recommend to young would-be paleontologists. I know that I, having read it, want to know more about this fascinating figure!
February 1, 2016
The kids and I are studying Mary Anning. We've read a couple of versions of her story. This one is well-told and illustrated, but not my favorite -- mostly because some of the major points of Mary's story are left out or changed (most curious is her brother's unnecessary absence). But I do appreciate that this one brings in the Philpot Sisters and her dad, which some others do not.
2019 - read again. Still annoyed by some of the omissions and liberties the author takes. But, it is a story, not a reference book -- should be shelved historical fiction, not non-fiction.
2019 - read again. Still annoyed by some of the omissions and liberties the author takes. But, it is a story, not a reference book -- should be shelved historical fiction, not non-fiction.
July 13, 2010
I really enjoyed this book. It was interesting hearing about Mary Anning's life and where her interest in fossils came from. There are interesting elements of bullying and teasing which could be used as great teaching tools.
July 17, 2012
Stone Girl, Bone Girl: The Story of Mary Anning is a wonderful picture book biography of a twelve year old girl and her dog who discover a fossilized full skeleton of an Ichthyosaur in the cliffs above her home in Lyme Regis. The story opens with a dramatic event in which Mary is struck by lightning as a baby. The fictional account of Mary Anning's life creates a comfortable view of family life with her father igniting her passion for all things fossil related. After the death of her father 'Pepper' Mary goes on to set up her own fossil shop with the help of the Philpot sisters who are alleged scientists. She then of course goes on to make the remarkable discovery for which she is renown for.
Laurence Anholt provides a short closing note on Anning's place in paleontology and goes on to claim that she is the focus of the traditional rhyme "she sells seashells by the seashore." Sheila Moxley's bright, folky illustrations are rife throughout the book, following the journey of Mary, which make it both pleasing and child friendly. This book can be read out aloud to a class as part of guided reading and also be the focus of biography writing within class. This story can also re-enacted in class or form the basis of a class assembly.
Best suited to children aged five to nine, this story will be sure to captivate their minds from the very first line as well as providing them a history of a young girl they would have otherwise not known.
Laurence Anholt provides a short closing note on Anning's place in paleontology and goes on to claim that she is the focus of the traditional rhyme "she sells seashells by the seashore." Sheila Moxley's bright, folky illustrations are rife throughout the book, following the journey of Mary, which make it both pleasing and child friendly. This book can be read out aloud to a class as part of guided reading and also be the focus of biography writing within class. This story can also re-enacted in class or form the basis of a class assembly.
Best suited to children aged five to nine, this story will be sure to captivate their minds from the very first line as well as providing them a history of a young girl they would have otherwise not known.
June 2, 2012
In Year 5 we are currently covering the topic of Mary Anning, so we used this children's story book which tells of her first Fossil find in 1811 in a child friendly manner.
May Anning was born in 1799 in Lyme Regis, Dorset. She got struck by lightning at the age of one then went on to discovered the fossil of an Ichthyosaur. Although this story has been edited to be suitable for children, it has many of the facts embedded in it.
The illustrations are good and weird at times but adds to the character of the book!
An easy read and very helpful when looking at the topic of fossils or Mary Anning. For those who have never heard of Mary before, I'll leave you with the tongue twister which was made about her:
She sells seashells on the seashore
The shells she sells are seashells, I'm sure
So if she sells seashells on the seashore
Then I'm sure she sells seashore shells.
Try teaching that to your kids whlst keeping a straight face! :)
Enjoy
May Anning was born in 1799 in Lyme Regis, Dorset. She got struck by lightning at the age of one then went on to discovered the fossil of an Ichthyosaur. Although this story has been edited to be suitable for children, it has many of the facts embedded in it.
The illustrations are good and weird at times but adds to the character of the book!
An easy read and very helpful when looking at the topic of fossils or Mary Anning. For those who have never heard of Mary before, I'll leave you with the tongue twister which was made about her:
She sells seashells on the seashore
The shells she sells are seashells, I'm sure
So if she sells seashells on the seashore
Then I'm sure she sells seashore shells.
Try teaching that to your kids whlst keeping a straight face! :)
Enjoy
July 2, 2014
If I had read this picture book on Mary Anning before the others I have read, it probably would have had a higher rating. However after reading other material about this young self-taught archeologist this reads more like a work of historical fiction than a biography. Several of the “facts” presented were not accurate, making me question all the information given. The most blatant being the appearance and disappearance of her dog and constant companion; who tragically died in a rock slide, not running off after completing his purpose in life.
July 18, 2011
One of the VERY best biographies for children I've found! I LOVE that this book is about a young girl AND female scientists in the 1800's. This is a great introduction to fossils--plus we love the rhyme at the end--and it's really about this girl who discovered the ichthyosaur, Mary Anning. Great Great Great
July 5, 2020
Goodness we really really loved this book. The illustrations, the story itself, it was beautiful. This story was how the tongue twister “Sea sells seashells by the seashore” came about. That was cool to find out.
April 15, 2018
lovely picture book biography
April 13, 2021
Information seemed inaccurate so no good if you were actually hoping to use it for a school project. It appeared names of characters had been changed etc.
Read
March 2, 2022Differing storyline and events from what we've read in other books regarding Mary and her life.
April 20, 2022
“Stone Girl, Bone Girl” is a creative biography of Mary Anning, who is a young paleontologist who loved exploring for “curiosities.” Mary would scavenge the beaches and cliff near her home in Lyme Regis for shells and fossils. She gained her love of fossils from her father when he gave her a snake stone on one of their fossil adventures. Mary Anning meets the Philpot sisters, local scientists who told Mary Anning that her “curiosities” are actually fossils. This encourages Mary Anning to look for the See monster creature that Philpot sisters believe is still hidden in the cliffs. Later, her father passes away and she meets a speckled dog, who she names “Pepper.” Mary Annings’s mother did not have a lot of money, so Mary decided she would sell her curiosities. Unfortunately, the town children would make fun of Mary, but that didn’t stop her from selling her fossils and searching for the sea monster. Will Mary Anning find the sea monster?
I would share this book as a read aloud in grades K-2 and as an independent read in grades 3-5. The interest age for this book are ages 5-8. This would be a great book to engage children in the science of paleontology. The story engages young readers with the opening of when Mary Anning was struck by lightning when she was a baby. The story of her fathers death was lightly portrayed in a way appropriate for younger students. I deducted a star from the rating because after researching this story, it lacks details about how the sea monster was actually discovered. The book states that
one day her dog Pepper found something on the cliff's side, but it was her brother who truly discovered the fossil and gave Mary the credit.
I would share this book as a read aloud in grades K-2 and as an independent read in grades 3-5. The interest age for this book are ages 5-8. This would be a great book to engage children in the science of paleontology. The story engages young readers with the opening of when Mary Anning was struck by lightning when she was a baby. The story of her fathers death was lightly portrayed in a way appropriate for younger students. I deducted a star from the rating because after researching this story, it lacks details about how the sea monster was actually discovered. The book states that
one day her dog Pepper found something on the cliff's side, but it was her brother who truly discovered the fossil and gave Mary the credit.
July 11, 2021
A little known story about Mary Anning, an English girl who became a paleontologist in the early 1800's.
Inspiring as it is a good example of a woman in what was thought of as a man's field in those days.
Inspiring as it is a good example of a woman in what was thought of as a man's field in those days.
August 22, 2021
A fantastic and accessible story about the life of Many Anning, the female palaeontologist who discovered Ichthyosaurs, Pterosaurs and Plesiosaurs. The book brushes over certain tragedies in Anning’s life, such as the deaths of her father and dog, but this makes the narrative more age-appropriate and keeps the focus on her journey of scientific discoveries.
The book has a fair amount of text, alongside beautiful illustrations, making it appropriate for both upper Key Stage One and lower Key Stage Two. The focus on fossils would blend well alongside the “rocks” topic of Year Three Science. I imagine the book would work well for both class reading and independent study within a larger task.
The book has a fair amount of text, alongside beautiful illustrations, making it appropriate for both upper Key Stage One and lower Key Stage Two. The focus on fossils would blend well alongside the “rocks” topic of Year Three Science. I imagine the book would work well for both class reading and independent study within a larger task.
May 4, 2020
Genre: Biography/LKS2 Cross-curricular.
The extraordinary real-life tale of Mary Anning's renowned childhood at Lyme Regis in Dorset is retold in this attractive and accessible account targeted at LKS2 readers. We follow Mary's first discovery (a snakestone spotted by her father, Pepper), through her meeting with the Philpot sisters and their collection of fossil 'curiosities' that inspires her to keep treasure-hunting, until her eventual discovery of an entire Ichthyosaur skeleton which renders her famous, initially locally, but of course now internationally and in every UK Y3 classroom, where fossils and their formation form part of the 'Rocks' Science National Curriculum in England. Although there is a helpful post-script which details Anning's later discoveries and defines Darwin's theory of Evolution (for any Y6 readers studying it), the story itself focusses more on Anning and her life than on the fossils she uncovered. We delve into 19th Century English tradition and history; illustrations beautifully depict settlements, clothing and customs of the time; there are some attractive descriptions of the local coastline and its changing (and sometimes extreme) weather conditions which could inspire children's own descriptive writing in English. Perhaps the most significant theme throughout however is one of PSHE, self-belief and perseverance. Mary's young cliff-face archaeology is disregarded by locals as child's play; the title of the book 'Stone Girl Bone Girl' is actually the scornful chant other children levelled at her endeavours: Anholt's choice of this name-calling as the book's title perhaps highlights to any young, or maybe female, scientists that age and gender are irrelevant to scientific skills, analysis and persistence. Mary's conviction in her own abilities is a growth mindset revisited in many classrooms today. Reminiscent of the animal-human relationships so central to Michael Morpurgo's (largely) fictional tales, we also share Mary's close connections with her dog - also an outcast in the form of a stray she befriends and takes in herself - who actually leads her to the Ichthyosaur discovery itself at the end of the book. There is so much here to inspire in the primary classroom that it's no surprise the book has been mentioned during teacher training in both Science and English. Sheila Moxley's illustrations range from map-like town and coastal aerial views to time-travelling transformations of dinosaurs alive on the Jurassic coast. Although Mary and Pepper describe fossils as 'treasure', perhaps School Librarian magazine is also accurate in describing Anholt's depiction as a treasure, too. I hope I get the chance to introduce such treasure to children in school in the future.
The extraordinary real-life tale of Mary Anning's renowned childhood at Lyme Regis in Dorset is retold in this attractive and accessible account targeted at LKS2 readers. We follow Mary's first discovery (a snakestone spotted by her father, Pepper), through her meeting with the Philpot sisters and their collection of fossil 'curiosities' that inspires her to keep treasure-hunting, until her eventual discovery of an entire Ichthyosaur skeleton which renders her famous, initially locally, but of course now internationally and in every UK Y3 classroom, where fossils and their formation form part of the 'Rocks' Science National Curriculum in England. Although there is a helpful post-script which details Anning's later discoveries and defines Darwin's theory of Evolution (for any Y6 readers studying it), the story itself focusses more on Anning and her life than on the fossils she uncovered. We delve into 19th Century English tradition and history; illustrations beautifully depict settlements, clothing and customs of the time; there are some attractive descriptions of the local coastline and its changing (and sometimes extreme) weather conditions which could inspire children's own descriptive writing in English. Perhaps the most significant theme throughout however is one of PSHE, self-belief and perseverance. Mary's young cliff-face archaeology is disregarded by locals as child's play; the title of the book 'Stone Girl Bone Girl' is actually the scornful chant other children levelled at her endeavours: Anholt's choice of this name-calling as the book's title perhaps highlights to any young, or maybe female, scientists that age and gender are irrelevant to scientific skills, analysis and persistence. Mary's conviction in her own abilities is a growth mindset revisited in many classrooms today. Reminiscent of the animal-human relationships so central to Michael Morpurgo's (largely) fictional tales, we also share Mary's close connections with her dog - also an outcast in the form of a stray she befriends and takes in herself - who actually leads her to the Ichthyosaur discovery itself at the end of the book. There is so much here to inspire in the primary classroom that it's no surprise the book has been mentioned during teacher training in both Science and English. Sheila Moxley's illustrations range from map-like town and coastal aerial views to time-travelling transformations of dinosaurs alive on the Jurassic coast. Although Mary and Pepper describe fossils as 'treasure', perhaps School Librarian magazine is also accurate in describing Anholt's depiction as a treasure, too. I hope I get the chance to introduce such treasure to children in school in the future.
July 1, 2012
This is a bittersweet tale about a young girl who helped to discover many different fossils. The sad circumstances of her childhood are certainly disturbing and I would recommend this book for older children. The bullying that she endured was only tempered by the silence of her tormentors when she became famous for her discoveries.
I did not know that she was the inspiration for the following tongue twister (I had only ever heard the first line before):
She sells seashells by the seashore.
The shells she sells are seashells I'm sure.
So, if she sells seashells by the seashore,
I'm sure the shells are seashore shells."
The illustrations are very colorful, but often appear very abstract and somewhat disturbing. Certainly not my favorite. But the story is interesting and we really enjoyed reading this book together.
This story was selected as one of the books for the July 2010 - Dinosaur reads at the Picture-Book Club in the Children's Books Group here at Goodreads.
I did not know that she was the inspiration for the following tongue twister (I had only ever heard the first line before):
She sells seashells by the seashore.
The shells she sells are seashells I'm sure.
So, if she sells seashells by the seashore,
I'm sure the shells are seashore shells."
The illustrations are very colorful, but often appear very abstract and somewhat disturbing. Certainly not my favorite. But the story is interesting and we really enjoyed reading this book together.
This story was selected as one of the books for the July 2010 - Dinosaur reads at the Picture-Book Club in the Children's Books Group here at Goodreads.
January 3, 2019
The story of Mary Anning's life, with beautiful striking illustrations.
Does not shy away from the issues in her life but equally does not dwell on those issues.
Used to teach children about Mary Anning's life, with KS1 i adapted the story as the book is incredibly wordy and would not have held my youngest children's attention. The story itself is more suited to KS2. I kept the illustrations and the children made additional inferences based on these. The older children had a look at the book on their tables and were entirely engrossed by it.
The story really inspired the class, many of whom went off fossil hunting as soon as they had a chance. This book was followed up with a visit from "Mary Anning" in which children demostrated their knowledge and extended their learning using excellent questioning skills.
There are some issues to consider such as overcoming adversity and the appreciation of women in science in past times if applicable.
Does not shy away from the issues in her life but equally does not dwell on those issues.
Used to teach children about Mary Anning's life, with KS1 i adapted the story as the book is incredibly wordy and would not have held my youngest children's attention. The story itself is more suited to KS2. I kept the illustrations and the children made additional inferences based on these. The older children had a look at the book on their tables and were entirely engrossed by it.
The story really inspired the class, many of whom went off fossil hunting as soon as they had a chance. This book was followed up with a visit from "Mary Anning" in which children demostrated their knowledge and extended their learning using excellent questioning skills.
There are some issues to consider such as overcoming adversity and the appreciation of women in science in past times if applicable.
March 11, 2021
If I didn't already know about Mary Anning, I would have given this book a better rating (perhaps 3 stars). But as my 9 year old daughter and I have read other books on her (for a school project), we immediately noticed the inaccuracies in this book. Its one thing to leave out dark subject matter to make a book appropriate for children, its another thing to outright change major details about a person's life and their accomplishments. The author took too many liberties for this to be considered a biography, its historical fiction that happens to use some real peoples names. There are better picture books about Mary Anning to read.
September 20, 2019
I like that there is a picture book biography on her to let more kids hear this incredible story, but I wish this one had more details. It was hard to even get a sense of the time period until you got to the author's note. I liked the manner of storytelling but there wasn't a lot of there there.
October 20, 2020
As a baby, Mary was struck by lightning, then as a little girl she found a fossilised sea monster, the most important prehistoric discovery of its time. This spectacular tale of a little girl who dared to be different and who followed her dreams will inspire young children.
March 20, 2021
I love to read books about Mary Anning. This one had wonderful illustrations and was written quite well, but important people and details were left out or simply wrong. I don't know why the author chose to make her dog Tray somewhat mystical and disappear in the end.
January 7, 2015
Did not like the primitive illustrations.
March 16, 2018
Real childhood favourite. :) Mary Anning is my absolute hero. Can't believe she's apparently such an obscure historical figure!
September 7, 2018
I enjoyed the style of this book and how it was presented. But, I think a more detailed afterword would have helped give the reader a more complete sense of Mary Anning's life.
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